What an HOA Board Can Do With Stray Animals
The problem of stray animals in HOA communities is a common one. But, there are some measures HOA boards can take to prevent strays from loitering and discourage residents from feeding them.
What Happens When Stray Animals are Allowed in HOA Communities
From the get-go, the board should make it clear that the association’s pet rules apply to homeowners’ pets and not to stray animals. Stray animals may not seem like an issue in a community, especially for one with a pet-friendly policy. But there is a massive difference between pets and strays. Pets are domesticated animals used to living indoors, whereas strays typically run wild.
Some may wonder why feeding stray animals in an HOA community is a big deal. They are just animals, and they need food like everyone else. While compassion may drive some residents to feed strays, this is ultimately a wrong decision as it can cause a domino effect in the community.
Feeding Leads to Loitering
Feeding stray animals in HOA communities can prompt them to stick around. Strays usually stay in places where there’s food. So, if residents start feeding them, they are more inclined to remain in the neighborhood. Feeding strays conditions them into thinking that they have a constant source of food in the area. As a result, they will loiter and become a nuisance to residents.
Unsanitary and Unhealthy
Stray animals are not trained like pets. Therefore, they are more likely to pee or defecate on private property. The association will also have a more challenging time with cleaning and maintenance, as these strays can also relieve themselves in common areas.
In addition to this, some strays carry diseases. These diseases can be passed on to other animals (pets) and even humans. No one knows where these stray animals have been, so no one says how clean and healthy they are.
Property Destruction
When residents feed stray animals, they tend to remain in the community, hoping to get food, which increases the chances of property destruction. They may do it to lash out or gain attention if they want more food. Other times, it’s just in their nature to do so. Stray animals can damage fences, outdoor furniture, and the HOA’s property. Gardens and landscaping are particularly vulnerable to damage from strays.
Invites Other Pests
Stray animals tend to rummage through bins in search of food scraps. When they do this, they leave behind a mess of trash, with the bin usually tipped over. The resulting litter can attract other pests into the community. These include stray cats and dogs, raccoons, rodents, and insects.
Safety Hazard
Apart from possibly carrying diseases, stray animals can physically attack and injure others. They may also hurt residents, including small children. Stray cats and dogs might get into fights with homeowners’ pets.
Lowered Appeal and Property Value
It may seem silly to think of stray animals hurting property values, but it does happen. Fewer people will find it attractive when a community is overrun with stray animals. Before long, the massive population of stray animals can drag down the community’s appeal and property values. In addition to the above consequences, lower property values certainly won’t make homeowners happy. And, to think, all this came about just because a few residents decided to feed the strays.
What Homeowners Associations Can Do
While it’s not entirely possible to control the behavior of stray animals, there are some things an HOA board can do to handle the situation.
1 Establish a Complaint System
One of the first things an HOA board can do is establish a complaint system. Asking homeowners to report the stray animals they encounter will greatly help the association address the problem immediately and minimize strays in the community. When asking for complaints, make sure to get a detailed description of the stray animal, including where the homeowner spotted them.
2 Call Animal Control
Rarely is a homeowners association capable of dealing with stray animals hands-on. Most communities seek professional help, which is the best way to go if you have a problem with stray animals, especially if they are feral or dangerous. Your local government may have an animal control department that can wrangle the strays. If not, some private companies handle such problems for associations and individual homeowners.
3 Institute Repercussions to Discourage Feeding
Since feeding strays is a root cause, enacting a policy prohibiting this act may be worthwhile. Your HOA board may want to impose fines to enforce the policy and discourage feeders. However, it will depend on your governing documents. Of course, it is common for many councils to issue warnings first before slapping a homeowner with a fine. Encouraging owners to report a neighbor feeding stray animals is also a good idea.
Preventing Breeding in the Community
Stray animals in HOA communities present another problem — breeding. When a specific neighborhood accumulates many strays, they breed and produce more strays, exacerbating the problem and making it harder for an association to deal with. If you want to prevent this, your HOA board may want to encourage residents to participate in local TNR programs.
TNR stands for trap, neuter, and return. These programs offer primary medical care to stray cats, particularly to limit the local stray cat populace. The steps of such programs are pretty straightforward:
Trap – the cat is trapped humanely to proceed to the next step.
Neuter – also known as sterilization, male and female cats undergo a medical procedure that prevents them from breeding. The stray cats also receive primary veterinary care, such as vaccinations.
Return – the final step is to return the stray cat to where they were taken from.
While TNR programs don’t address the existing population of stray cats, they can significantly help reduce the number of stray cats in the future.
Taking Swift Action
The problem with stray animals in HOA communities may not seem too grave. However, as you can see, it can balloon into a much larger issue and cause other neighborhood problems. As such, HOA boards should take action, especially if the association is already experiencing a high volume of strays.
Handling community affairs can feel quite burdensome for a self-managed board. An HOA management company such as Condominium Associates can help with this. Contact us today!